Berlin’s Ozon Cyclery is a fantastic project that is set on changing the German city’s bike-scape by introducing unique custom-made bikes made from bamboo. A team of bike-enthusiasts started the venture just two years ago in a dank basement workshop fixing bicycles and creating some crazy hybrids from reclaimed parts. However, after years of tinkering they came to the conclusion that the perfect material for bike frames was not metal, but bamboo! Light, durable, and near shock-resistant, their bamboo bikes are built to last.

Located within one of the most vibrant artistic communities of East Berlin (Blo-Ateliers), Ozon Cyclery is a small studio with big dreams. We had a chance to talk to American designer Daniel Vogel-Essex and he explained to us the benefits of using renewable bamboo and other natural materials. The Ozon Cyclery team believes that every person has different cycling needs, and his studio has made a point to meet each customer’s criteria, because ideally, everybody should have their own custom-made bamboo bike.

They have been experimenting with lots of sustainable materials that could join the bamboo canes together, including biodegradable flax, coconut and hemp fiber, wax, carbon fiber and fiberglass. Vogel-Essex explained that flax fiber and carbon fiber together, with a few coatings of expoxy resin, makes for a stiff, long-lasting joint. They have even developed an innovative system for making more durable and thinner bamboo parts for back wheel fitting.

Ozon Cyclery’s bike-making service includes custom ergonomic design and clients can also select specific components that will match their style of riding. The team will also mock up your bike in a rendering so you know exactly what you’re getting well before they start cutting pieces in the workshop.